Breathless
by Paige Hansen
Summary: Naia was hired by Rufus for a quick job. In and out. Unfortunately for her, there's a bit more to it than that. Reno/OC - Rated M - STORY IS CURRENTLY UNDER MAJOR CONSTRUCTION.
1. Undesired Encounter

_**A/N:**__ This is a complete do-over of my latest fanfic for FFVII. Personally I wasn't happy with where it was going, or the way it was coming together, so I apologize to anyone who was reading it. This one is, in my opinion much better, and I'm rather pleased this time around. Reviews are always welcome, and thanks for reading! Xox_

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Rude squinted in the bright sun, looking out amidst the barrage of bullets, and the rising clouds of dust. The mission was more than he had expected it to be when Rufus had handed the orders down to Tseng. Simple infiltration. In and out. But something went wrong, and now Rude squatted behind the remaining half of a car waiting for the dust to clear before searching for his partner. Shouts were heard between shots, and he felt tempted to run out into the open to find the source. The blood seeping from his shoulder, and the pain when he touched it made him think twice, and he cocked the gun in his hand, deciding to wait it out.

Aside from his missing partner, and a bleeding hole in his flesh, Rude was not impressed. Yet another pair of glasses destroyed, and this time he didn't have a pair to replace them. He rubbed the butt of the gun against his bald head, wiping away a mixture of dirt and sweat. His head was beginning to hurt, his eyes sensitive to the sun's light, and he blinked hard trying to will himself not to feel it as footsteps approached and he turned aiming the gun at his assailant.

"Shit!"

Rude, still squinting, looked up to see an anxious redhead looking down at him, his eyes wide and obviously afraid that the man staring at him would pull the trigger. "The hell have you been?"

"Trying to find you," Reno answered. He waited for Rude to lower the gun before he considered moving toward him, and seated himself next to his partner, resting his head against the remains of the car that was being used as a shelter. "What happened to you?"

"Got shot."

"Very informative." Reno smirked, and ignored his friend's protests as he took a look at the wound. "It ain't bad. Maybe you can get Elena to kiss it better."

Rude shook his head and covered his face with his palm. How Reno was able to make jokes in the midst of gunfire and explosion, he still couldn't figure out. They had been working together for years, and though they had bonded nearly as well as brothers, there were still so many things Rude couldn't put together. It made his brain ache trying to figure things out, and he decided it was best not to worry about it.

Reno took a look around, keeping himself covered well, and holding his gun to his side. Things were beginning to quiet, and through the clouds of debris particles, he could see two familiar figures moving their way, crouched fairly low, guns in their hands.

"Who screwed up!" Elena's voice, though quiet, was filled with anger and frustration, and her eyes focused directly on Reno who raised his hands in protest.

"Whoa, whoa!" He stood, towering over her, though he wasn't threatening. "Don't look at me."

"I already am, Reno. And I will not hesitate to kick your ass, if you were the one-"

"Kick my ass? That's funny," Reno retorted. Elena was always eager to point an accusing finger in his direction. One couldn't blame her for being so quick to assume he would screw something up. Life around the office wasn't exactly made easy for her, and his antics were beginning to drive her crazy. Reno had just about had enough of her accusations, and had to bite his tongue. "Look, despite the fact that you think I'm a complete idiot, I'm more serious about this shit than you think. I didn't screw up. Something went wrong."

Elena opened her mouth to argue, and Tseng took her by the shoulder, stopping what he could see turning into a violent brawl if she opened her mouth again.

"Reno's right," he said, forcing himself to ignore the pained look on Elena's face. "Something isn't right here. In any case, we need to get this finished, and standing here yelling at each other isn't going to get anything accomplished. Reno and Rude, I want you two to find a way inside without causing anymore of an uproar than we've already dealt with. It's obvious they know we're here, so I have a feeling things are going to be a little quiet if not utter chaos. Elena and I will secure the area, and take care of anyone who gets too close."

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The entire place was quiet, which was far from what she was expecting. She cursed under her breath as she stepped through the doorway into a large office. Her gun clutched tightly in her hands, she turned sharply, making sure she was alone as she peered into the darkness around her, stepping over papers and files scattered across the floor.

"Rufus," she said quietly as she continued to search the room. "If you sent me here for nothing, so help me Gaia..."

A groan off to the side grabbed her immediate attention, and she moved sideways, her back to the wall, still covering herself in the event of a surprise attack. She looked down to see him laying there, covered in blood, and she frowned, fearing her job had already been done for her. She nudged the bleeding man with her foot, and he whimpered in fear, before crying out in pain when she grabbed him by the hair, pulling him to his feet. He was hurt bad, but the touch of cold steel against his temple was enough to make him ignore the deep wounds he had already received.

"Tell me what happened here," she said with a smooth voice, her tone much cooler than the man had expected. Her hand was steady, and held the gun firmly against his head. Her other arm flexed tightly as she held his head back, trying to keep him on his feet.

"I..." He was drifting in and out of consciousness, unable to hold himself up, his weight dragging her down as he fell. When his knees collided hard with the floor, and his body became nothing but a limp pile of flesh and bone beneath her, she swore, letting him go, and wiping the sweat from her hand that had transferred from his hair.

"Gross," she muttered to herself. She nudged the man again, and when he didn't respond, she bent down, pressing her index and middle fingers against his neck to feel for a pulse, and backing away disappointed when she felt nothing. "Shit."

She looked through the large pane of glass behind her, scoping the surrounding parking lot that had been turned to nothing more than a heap of rubble and twisted metal, and thanked Gaia that she hadn't been in the middle of what had happened there. She took a few moments to relax in the quiet, though angry with herself for having not made it there in time to do her job, and pressed her back against the glass as she closed her eyes, trying to calm her emotions.

Like a cat, she felt her ears twitch at a soft sound near the door, and with her eyes still closed, she raised the gun in her hand, pointing it in the direction of the person interrupting her peace and quiet.

"I hear you." Her voice echoed through the quiet room, the words coming from her like a song, as she cocked the gun. She opened her eyes to see two men standing in the mess that surrounded them, and eyed each of them before moving. The one she aimed at was tall and thin, his pale skin resembling a more blue-grey color in the lack of light. His hands were raised, though she could tell he wasn't afraid of her. The other stood more proudly, gripping his own gun, both hands wrapped tightly around the grip, and holding it low, waiting for her to make a move. When she finally pushed herself away from the wall and lowered her gun, the thinner, less built man of the two lowered his hands and looked to the other.

"Mind telling me who the hell you are?" She asked, stalking quietly toward them. She lowered her gun, sensing no threat from either. Had they wanted to hurt her, she knew they would have done so already. When neither of them answered her, she let out a long and heavy breath before rolling her eyes. The pale man flicked his nails, seemingly waiting for her to say something, but she refused to give him the pleasure of breaking her. His eyes challenged her, fixing hard on hers, the bright blue shining fiercely in the dark room.

She could tell by the way he stood there that he was toying with her. And when he began to walk toward her, she felt herself tense, and her eyes darted over him, monitoring his movements. When he finally stopped, he was close enough that she could swear she heard his heart beating. But maybe it was her own, she wasn't sure.

"Nice work," he said finally. "Tad messy though, aren't we?"

"I didn't do this," she answered. She could hear a quiver in her own voice, and she shook her head trying to shake the nervousness he was beginning to make her feel. She took a deep breath, trying to regain her pride, though it was slipping, and looked him in the eye. "_I_ unfortunately, didn't make it on time."

"What's that supposed to mean?" This time the question came from the bigger of the two men in the room, and she looked past the first to see him glaring at her, though she figured it unintentional. His voice was much deeper than she had expected it to be, and he continued to hold the gun in his hands as he took a more relaxed stance next to his partner.

"Exactly what I said," she answered. She looked back at the body on the floor and swore to herself. "I came here to do a job, but apparently... I was late."

Before either man could say anything, her gun was back in the air, aiming once again at the slimmer one, who jumped back when she pulled back the hammer, readying herself to pull the trigger.

"Now." She exchanged an anxious glance with each suited man. "Who the hell are you?"

The larger man brought his own gun up, aiming it directly at her head, and she could sense him inching closer and closer until she could hear his quiet breathing, and the barrel of the gun was only inches from her head. Still she stood firm, refusing to move until she got an answer from one of them. Her eyes strayed from her target for only a second as she looked at the man with her in his sites, and in that time, she felt a forceful hand grab her wrist, twisting her hand and forcing her to loosen her grip. He twisted her arm around her back, and pulled her against him before resting the barrel under her chin.

"You tell us first."

"I get answers," she said quietly. "I don't give them."

The gun pushed against her chin, making her lift her head until it was pressing hard against the man's shoulder. He turned his head toward hers just enough that his breath ran down her neck, her every hair standing on end. She was frightened, and as much as she tried to hide it, she failed.

"Hear that, partner? Little lady doesn't like to cooperate."

"Pity."

When the bigger of the two cocked his own gun, she swallowed hard. "N-Naia," she said quietly, her voice shaking again. "My name is Naia."

She raised her free hand and wrapped her fingers around the arm of the man holding her. When he felt her start to pull gently at his arm, he tensed, refusing to let her go.

"What are you doing here?" The other asked.

She sighed heavily, again refusing to answer, and feeling the steel of her own gun begin to dig into her skin. "You know," she said. "It'd be real swell if you _didn't_ try to strangle me with _my_ gun."

"I could always use my hands."

"Cute." She sighed again, realizing that he wasn't going to let her go until he had a satisfying answer. "Look, I've got nothing to do with you guys. I was told to come here and make sure this guy didn't get out alive. That's all."

"Who hired you?"

"What the hell does it matter?" She felt the hand on her wrist tighten, and her arm began to ache as he twisted it even more. "Gaia's sake! Rufus Shinra, okay?"

"Rufus Shinra?" His voice told her he didn't believe her, and she nodded the best she could in her position.

"He said he wasn't sure that the people he had sent in for the job would get it done," she said. She spoke quickly fearing that one of them might pull the trigger. "He told me that at best, the place would be secured just enough for me to get in and out unnoticed."

"How'd you get in here without being seen?"

"Like anyone with a properly functioning brain would," she answered dryly. "There's a fire escape at the back of the building... in the alley. It leads to a security door down the hall. A couple of people go out to the landing there to smoke, and they prop the door open so they don't get locked out. Let me guess. You figured the only way in was to bust your way in? That's why the entire parking lot is destroyed?"

"You know, you're pretty cocky for someone who's in a good position to get herself killed."

"And if you wanted to kill me, you would have pulled the trigger a long time ago," she replied. "Don't try to act tough. You're nothing but a hotshot."

He pulled the gun away from her face, and aimed it down, pulling the trigger and making her shut her eyes tight as she jumped against him. "And you're nothing but a scared little girl."

"Reno." The bigger of the two men spoke, his voice calm and soothing though low and intimidating. She knew he could sense her fear, and he holstered his own gun as he looked to his partner. "Let her go."

She swallowed hard, feeling him resist letting her go. She wrapped her hand around his arm again, and when he felt her begin to pull gently, he slowly loosened his grip around her wrist, and freed her from his hold. She moved forward and turned toward him as she rubbed her bruising wrist, and glared at him before holding her hand out, requesting the return of her weapon. He smiled at her, releasing the magazine from the well, and chuckled as it hit the ground, the sound making Naia jump. He flipped the gun in his hand and handed it to her, resisting the urge to laugh when she snatched it from him.

"Thank you," she said angrily. She slipped the gun into the back of her pants, watching him closely before she finally pushed past him to leave. "Prick."


	2. Disappointment

_**A/N: **Okay, so I'm updating this chapter. After a lot of thinking, I've decided to edit some of the chapters to get the story to where I really feel comfortable with it. As always, reviews are greatly appreciated, and I hope you guys enjoy this new version! xox_

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Rufus rubbed his temples as he swiveled in his leather office chair watching Naia pace back and forth across the floor in front of his desk. When he sighed finally, she stopped walking and spun around to look at him. His eyes pierced right through her, and it sent a chill through her entire body.

"I hired you, because I was told you were the best for the job," he said, his steely eyes still fixed on hers, demanding her full attention. No matter how hard she tried to look away to hide her shame, she couldn't. "I was told that you are competent, quick witted, and good at what you do."

"Rufus, I-"

"And yet," he continued. "I sit here disappointed. Do you mind telling me why that is?"

She finally found it in herself to pry her eyes away from his as he stood and walked around his desk toward her. She looked to the floor, trying to keep her eyes on her feet, or at best the grey tile beneath her, but when he drew near enough to her, she couldn't help but focus on him. His mere presence demanded her attention, and as much as she wanted to refuse him, she found that it was proven more difficult a task than she had anticipated. Her ability to resist eye contact lessened with each shallow breath she took, each twitch of her iris, each beat of her heart. It wasn't until he touched her that her eyes darted up, meeting his again.

"Well?" He asked. "Do you have an answer?"

"I was late." She answered quietly, making Rufus strain to hear her. "Clearly someone knew something, and did him in before I even got inside the building."

Rufus walked away from her, stalking back to his desk before pushing a button on his phone.

"Send them in."

"Rufus." Her voice was pleading with him for sympathy, and in the event that he didn't give her that, she hoped for the slightest bit of understanding. "You know I don't take this lightly. I... I had everything planned to the last detail. I scouted the damned place since the day you told me about the job. I had everything figured out. If Daemon suggested me, it wasn't by mistake, I assure you. I have never failed a mission, and I most certainly never miss my mark. Someone else-"

Her speech was cut short when the door to Rufus' office opened, revealing two familiar faces from earlier that day. Her eyes filled with rage, and it was all she could do not to tear Reno to pieces right there. The smile he wore made her stomach turn, and the look in his eyes didn't help her calm down.

"_You_." She turned to Rufus, stuttering incoherently, and back to Reno who walked toward the center of the room, his partner following close behind.

"I tend to have that effect on women," Reno said still smirking at her. He knew he was making her angry, and he enjoyed every second of it.

"Rufus!" She spun around and glared at the man, her anger building inside, making her feel as though she was about to ignite.

"The two of you... know each other, I take it?" Rufus said, a subtle grin forming on his own face. Though he wasn't sure of the circumstances leading to her current anger, he found it amusing that Reno had made yet another woman a victim of his unrelenting, and often undesired charm.

"_Know_ each other!" Naia shouted. She took a deep breath as she closed her eyes, and forced herself to shut up. She shot a menacing stare at Reno before gathering herself and looking at Rufus. "If there's nothing else," she said firmly. "I'll be leaving now."

Reno stumbled back as her shoulder collided with his in her rush to leave the room. He raised his eyebrow as he watched her with the utmost intent, her hips swaying fiercely, her dark hair bouncing behind her. The corner of his mouth curled and his eyes glimmered mischievously. He was going to have some fun with this one.

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"Dammit!"

The blast of hot air against her face as she exited Shin-Ra Headquarters was nothing compared to the heat she felt throughout herself. She slammed herself against a wall near the door, feeling about ready to collapse to the ground beneath her. The look on his face was still vivid in her mind, and her eyes narrowed at the thought. She breathed hard, trying to relax, and waiting for the oncoming rain to fall and wash her emotions away with it. As her eyes scanned the people around her, she spotted a familiar car pulling up to the steps in front of her, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

_Oh, thank Gaia._ She dashed to the car, expecting to see Daemon there. Instead, she saw his most trusted lackey, Mason, and she cringed. She hated Mason. He may have been one of the most respected and feared people working under Daemon Cordain, but to her he was nothing more than a pompous, greasy bastard, and she hated having to be anywhere near him.

"Boss wants to see you," he said, not even bothering to look at her. She rolled her eyes at him, thankful he didn't see her do it, and sat herself in the back trying to keep a fair distance between them.

"Why isn't he here?" She asked, looking at his reflection in the rear view mirror. He glanced up through dark tinted lenses, looking back at her and chuckled quietly, making her feel her skin twitch.

"Trust me," he said. "You're happier with just me in the car, princess."

Naia sighed and rolled her eyes again. She felt behind her and cursed under her breath. How convenient that the slender metal magazine full of bullets just dying to enter Mason's skull, was lying on the floor of an office building, and not in the well of her gun. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?"

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"You know, as much as I like tracking people down," Reno said, looking to Rude through the corner of his eye. "Something makes me think this one's... a bad idea."

"And I thought you'd be happy about it," Rude laughed. He adjusted his shades just enough to peer over them while still keeping his eyes fairly concealed behind them as he looked past the windshield for the woman Rufus had sent them after.

"Ah, come on," Reno said. "What makes you say that?"

Rude laughed harder than Reno was sure he had ever witnessed. "Like you don't know," he said. "Just keep your eyes open."

"You don't think this would be faster in _two_ vehicles?" He shook his head as he looked out through the window, which he had opened wide to see through the heavy rain.

"You're getting everything wet," Rude said sternly.

"Well at least I can see," Reno laughed. "Stop for a minute, I need a coffee."

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"Naia, Naia, Naia." Daemon's voice was intimidating. It wasn't unusual. In fact, his voice was what got him as far as he was. When people heard him speak, they listened. And if they didn't... Naia knew well what happened. She stood in front of him, shoulders back, head high, and hands behind her back. Fear was a sign of weakness to Daemon, and she wasn't going to show him that he made her feel afraid.

"Sir?" She asked simply. She licked her lips, holding her composure as best she could, and thanked Gaia that he couldn't tell she was breaking.

"You disappoint me, sweetheart," he said, leaning back in his chair and crossing his hands in his lap.

"I apologize, sir," Naia said quickly. "I-"

"Quiet!" It was the first time he had ever raised his voice to her, and her jump was visible to everyone in the room. Daemon motioned for everyone to leave them alone, and rose from his chair as the room emptied. "In all the time you've been working for me, I have never seen you screw up as badly as you did today. And _never_ -" he circled her, the stench of cigars and whiskey looming around her in a noxious cloud as he moved. "- never have I been so embarrassed to call somebody an employee. How long have you been working for me now?"

"Five years, sir," she responded.

"Five years," he repeated with a nod. He stood before her now, so close that she could see every branch in the crows feet around his eyes, count every freckle on his face. She held her breath until he backed away from her, fearing she might anger him even more for using the same air.

She didn't see it coming, and the next thing she knew, she was on the floor holding the side of her face. It ached fiercely, the pain shooting through her jaw where his heavy hand had connected with her. She whimpered from the sudden attack, but was grateful when he made no response to it. He looked down at her through narrow eyes, and adjusted the rings on his hand, scoffing as though it was her fault that they had shifted in the impact. She stayed down, afraid to move as he walked back toward the heavy oak desk, and picked up the phone.

Within minutes, Mason entered the room, and before she knew it, he took her by the arm and pulled her to her feet with more force than she expected.

"You're a disgrace," Daemon sneered. He looked up at Mason who awaited orders patiently. "Get her out of here."

"Yes, sir," Mason answered. He gripped her arm tight, and led her from the room. She didn't bother to fight him. If anything she was just happy to get away from Daemon, and the way things sounded, he didn't want her to come back. Mason stopped when they reached a small steel door that led to the back alley, and looked down at her for a minute before letting her go. Naia looked at him, a little concerned about what he was thinking. Was he going to take her out there and shoot her like some kind of stray dog? Was he going to suddenly have a change of heart and wish her luck? _Kind of gross,_ she thought, imaging just what he would say. Instead, he sighed, and proved her thoughts wrong.

"You just had to piss him off, didn't you? Now I get to clean up yet another one of your messes." He practically snarled at her, and she looked at him sideways as he reached past her to open the door. "I'm sure he's learned a valuable lesson though. Never let a woman do a man's job."

With that, Mason gave her a sharp push, making her stumble into the cold rain.

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As she walked the busy streets of the upper city, she could feel the water seep into the legs of her pants, the cold reaching up to her knees and making her steps heavy. Droplets of water dripped from her long hair, chilling her as several landed on her warm skin that was now riddled with goosebumps. Her cheeks felt cold as the wind blew in her face, and it made her jaw ache even more. She was tempted to place a hand over the spot, but decided against causing herself any more pain than she already felt.

She passed by several small privately owned businesses, before spotting something unusual, and a tab bit frightening, and prayed for a hood to magically grow on her jacket so she could hide her face. That, unfortunately didn't happen, and she ducked into one of the tiny stores to take cover.

The shop owner looked at her strangely, and she smiled as politely as she could manage. "Just getting out of the rain for a moment," she said. "I hope you don't mind."

The owner nodded and smiled back nervously before going back to work. Naia watched through the window for a moment, and decided to take some time to relax and buy some dry clothes before hailing a cab to take her home. As she browsed, she felt a light tap on her shoulder, and turned around expecting to see the store owner wanting to assist her. Instead she found herself looking straight into the chest of a well built, suited man, and she looked up to see Rude looking down at her. She stepped back to stop from straining her neck as she looked up at him, and started stuttering.

"Come with me," he said firmly, taking her gently by the arm. She did as he said, scared that he'd blow her away right there.

_Rufus can't possibly be that pissed off,_ she thought. Rude let go of her when he was certain she would follow him to the black armored jeep. He was never much of a hard ass with anyone, but he had a feeling that this girl was going to give them more trouble than she was worth. He opened the rear door of the vehicle for her, and she stopped half way in when she saw a familiar redhead grinning deviously at her. _Wonderful... just wonderful,_ she thought harshly, the words apparent in her expression. Reno paid no attention and patted the seat next to him, inviting her to sit down.

"You're not an easy woman to find," Reno said.

"Yeah," Naia replied, smiling grimly. "I try to keep it that way. Kind of my job, you know."

Reno looked at her for a minute, noticing that she was hiding her face from him. He wasn't sure if it was shame or pride, but she wouldn't even turn enough to make eye contact with him. "What happened to your face?" He asked.

"Nothing," Naia answered quietly. "It's... nothing."

Reno grabbed her chin and turned her head to him, and looked at her, his expression calling her a liar. "That doesn't look like nothing," he said. There was a hint of anger in his voice. He had suddenly lost that annoying playfulness that she couldn't stand, and it only made her feel worse. "Who did this?"

Naia tried to pull her face away, but Reno wouldn't have it. He turned her head some more, craning his own neck to inspect the bruising on her face, and noticed a couple small cuts along her jawline. When he looked at her again, she could see in his eyes that he could not only tell what had happened, but that he was already planning on what to do about it.

"So," Naia started, trying to change the subject. "What exactly are you guys doing here?"

"Looking for you," Rude answered bluntly.

"Why?"

"Don't change the subject," Reno answered, his voice straining as he rummaged under the seat. When he sat up again, he rested a white box on his legs, and began searching through it. It wasn't until he pulled out a small paper packet that Naia noticed the box was marked _FIRST AID_ along the side. She looked at Reno with a disturbed expression, and backed away when he tried to dab one of the cuts on her face. She tore the folded antiseptic swab from his hand and looked at him through the corner of her eye before turning to look at her reflection in the window.

"I'm not a child," she said. "I can take care of myself."

"Apparently," Reno answered. He snorted a laugh as he looked at her feeling a bit of contempt. "Your face is a shining example of that."


	3. Not Letting This Go

"Would you stop it?" She began swatting at Reno as he tried to assess her face. She sulked when he grabbed her hands, gently holding her until she calmed down, and breathed hard through her nose hoping he'd take the hint and leave her alone, but he was more stubborn than she figured, and he stayed put. "You're so pigheaded."

"You're not the first person to tell me that," he replied with a smile.

"Person?" She asked, her expression filled with suspicion. "Or woman?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," she said. She broke eye contact with him, and began to look around. The white walls and floors reflected the light a little too brightly, and it threatened to start a headache to go with her already aching face. "You know, I could have just gone to the hospital."

"Well you're here," Reno told her as he let her hands go. He lifted her face, and sighed when she jerked away from him. "Look, the least you could do is trust me a little bit."

"You held a gun to my head only a few hours ago," she said looking at him angrily. She was still furious with him, and refused to let it slide. "You want me to trust you?"

"You're alive, aren't you?" He smiled again when he saw in her expression that she was accepting the point he was making. "And we kinda saved your life, so I think you should."

"Saved my life?" Naia replied. She couldn't help but laugh. "Saved me from the rain, sure. Not from an early funeral."

Reno looked at her, slightly annoyed, and took a breath. "And you call me pigheaded."

"How am I being pigheaded?" She asked. "Look, Daemon roughed me up a bit, and his lapdog threw me out in the rain. Which you and your partner saved me from. And now I'm stuck in a shitty Shinra clinic, when I could have just gone home and put ice on my face."

"Shitty Shinra _infirmary_," Reno corrected, before finally stepping away from her and throwing away yet another antiseptic swab. "And hey, if you'd rather be at home, I'd be more than happy to drop you off, but Rufus wanted you here, and so you're here."

"Why the hell would Rufus want me here?" Naia asked. "Last I checked, he was pretty pissed off."

"Couldn't tell ya." He gave her a quick smile and turned, walking to the door of the infirmary. "He's waiting, so whenever you're ready..."

She jumped up off the small bed she had been sitting on and headed in Reno's direction. "If I'm not mistaken, this place is hard to get around?"

"Right," Reno answered. "And?"

"Well, how am I supposed to get upstairs if I can't get through the door on each floor?" She raised her brow, and rested her weight on one hip, awaiting his answer. "I'm not blind, you know. I saw you using a card when you dragged me up here."

"Fine," Reno sighed. "Come with me, your majesty."

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Reno was kind enough to escort her into Rufus' office, and just as she was tempted to thank him, the door closed behind her, and he was gone. Rufus was on the phone, and waved for her to sit down. She nodded and quietly walked toward a plush lounge-like chair in front of his desk, pulling her damp hair over her shoulder to avoid it soaking through the expensive material, and likely getting her in more trouble than she was already in.

She watched Rufus as he worked. She tried not to, but it was a skill she no longer knew how to turn off, and she observed his every movement, from the way he held the handset of the phone to his ear with his shoulder, to the way he brushed the hair from his eyes between the notes he took down. She knew he liked to put on a tough facade, but when his guard was down, he was just as fragile and delicate as anyone else, and the mental note was locked away in Naia's mind without thought.

"Naia," he said quietly as he hung up the phone. As soft as his expression was, his eyes were just as piercing as they were earlier that day. Another mental note, this time thoughtfully tucked away. "No doubt, you're wondering why I wanted to see you."

She simply nodded, leaving a moment of dead air between the two of them before he spoke again.

"I'm not sure if you know this," he said quietly. "But before I requested your help on our last job, Daemon had sent us your file."

"My file, sir?" She saw the corner of his mouth raised in a grin, seemingly indicating his amusement at her confusion.

"A track record basically," he answered. He brushed the hair from eyes again, and folded his hands on his desk. "The jobs you've done, your talents, personal records, et cetera. I've been going over it again, and I must say, I'm a bit surprised."

"About what?"

"Everything," he said. "You were a martial arts student in Wutai, you have a business degree, and you've spent the last four years supporting your sick mother after your father's death."

"And what does that have to do with anything?" She was confused to say the very least. Why would Daemon keep that information on file? More importantly, how he got the information was starting to eat away at her.

"I'm just confused as to why someone with your skills and values, would be so inclined to work for someone like him," Rufus answered. He scanned her face, his eyes narrowing as he tried to search for some kind of answer.

"Well my life hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows, Rufus," she laughed. "Put simply, I needed a job, and Daemon made me an offer I couldn't refuse."

"Wouldn't you rather do more honest work?"

"What, like work for you?" She laughed again, but was stopped short when she saw he wasn't laughing with her. "Wait a minute. You call what you people do, honest work? Are you kidding me?"

"More honest than working for a crime boss," he said firmly. "And at least my employees can show their faces in public without disguising themselves."

Naia gritted her teeth at the sting of his statement. He was right. She spent more time lurking in shadows and keeping her identity under wraps than she did actually living. "So," she said finally. "What is it you're saying?"

"I think you got the gist of what I'm trying to say," he said with a grin. "I'll give you until tomorrow to make up your mind, and we'll go from there."

"And if my mind is already made up?"

"Is it?"

"I'll take the job."

"Then welcome aboard," Rufus said. He lifted the receiver of his office phone to his ear, and pushed a single button. "Elena, my office please."

.

.

"So is shacking up in a Shinra issued apartment, standard protocol?" Naia asked as she climbed into the black SUV.

The blonde with her giggled as she put the key in the ignition, and began to pull out of her designated parking space. "No, not usually. But now that you're a Turk, Rufus doesn't want to take any chances with you being on your own."

"You know, I told him I'd be fine," Naia grumbled.

"I know he can be hard to reason with," Elena replied. "But that's just Rufus. Just be thankful you're not working under his father."

Naia didn't need to ask. Everyone knew about President Shinra, and the way he liked to do things. Up until the geostigma episode, Rufus had been the same way, ruling much of Midgar with money and fear, though it had gotten around that things had changed. She laughed inside a little, thinking that the only thing that had changed was the use of the Lifestream. Shinra Inc had found more environmentally friendly ways of powering the city, and people began to live a little more peacefully. As far as she was concerned, Rufus was still very much like his father, though she wouldn't dare say it outright.

Elena stopped the car at the main gate, and stared confusedly at a piece of paper in her hand. "I'm confused," she said quietly. "This address is yours?"

"Mhm," Naia hummed.

"This isn't upper city," Elena said, still baffled.

"Well gee," Naia retorted. "I can get out and walk if you'd prefer staying out of the slums."

"No, no!" Elena cried, trying to recover herself. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that at all. I just figured that working in the upper city, you would have had a place here, that's all."

"Nah," Naia said. "I was a hitman... err, woman. If for some reason I had to get out of town, lower city was the best place to be. Quick exit."

"Smart girl," Elena chimed. She pulled out past the gates and continued to the off ramp leading them out of the upper city.

.

.

Sector 6 was a lot different from what Elena had remembered. Most, if not all had been rebuilt after its destruction, and it almost seemed to flourish. She had to thank Gaia in silence that it was no longer the place she remembered, full of thugs, scam artists, and of course run by Don Corneo. A smile spread across her face when she saw that several apartment complexes had been built, and new businesses had opened up. The Honey Bee was closed down, which made her particularly happy. _Dirty, dirty place,_ she thought.

When she finally pulled up to the address that Rufus had given her, Naia smiled and opened the door. "Give me ten minutes."

Elena smiled in response and watched Naia dash up the steps to the building entrance, before turning her attention to the volume knob on the radio, which she cranked up, before grabbing a book from the center console to read while she waited.

She had gotten so deep into her novel that she didn't even noticed Naia struggling with the door. "Sorry!" She shouted over the music, and exited the vehicle to help, only to be handed a limp mass of black fur, which she was relieved to see was nothing more than a cat. "Now I see why you wanted to be home. He's adorable."

Naia finished putting her bags in the back seat and smiled as she closed the door. "That's Socks," she said as she took him in her arms. "Found him on the streets shortly after I moved here, and now he's my big fat baby."

"Well," Elena said, giving the cat a soft scratch under the chin. "Let's not tell Reno about this. If he finds out you're a softy, you'll never live it down."

"Sounds good to me," Naia replied.

The two women got back into the SUV, and as Elena pulled away from the curb, Naia's attention was directed outside.

"Swink!"

Elena continued to drive, making Naia thankful as she watched the person try to wave her down in the side-view mirror.

"Swink?" Elena asked.

"Ugh, yes," Naia groaned. "A nickname I acquired over the years, apparently. Everyone thinks I work too much... or too hard. It's been left for debate."

"I like it," Elena said with a smile. She brought them back around to the main street, and headed through Sector 7, to quicken the drive.

When they finally arrived back at HQ, Elena helped Naia bring her belongings up to the apartment, and presented her with two plastic cards.

"This one's your ID card," Elena said. "We just swiped the photo from your file for now. This one here is your key card, and it gives you access to every floor here in HQ. Oh, except the lab. You need special authorization to go down there."

"Thank you," Naia said, smiling. "For everything."

"Anytime," Elena beamed. She turned to leave the apartment, and stopped just shy of the door. "Hey, I'm going for drinks later with some people from work, would you like to join me?"

"Sounds good to me," Naia said with a nod. "Goddess knows I could use a good drink."

Elena laughed and continued walking. "Tseng and I will pick you up at eight."

.

.

7th Heaven. The most popular place in lower city, and it was packed so full that Elena took hold of Naia's hand to lead her to their table. They got separated once, resulting in a yelling match with the other patrons, as they tried to find each other. Elena used Naia's nickname to avoid any confusion with someone else, and when they finally found each other, they linked arms as they pushed through the horde of people in their way. The space near the table was filled with only air, and the two girls fell out of the crowd barely able to catch themselves on the back of an occupied chair. When laughter overtook them, they both collapsed to the floor in hysterics.

"I have to say," Naia said still laughing. "That's got to be the most fun I've ever had without alcohol in my system."

"I second that," Elena responded, winded. She had been laughing so hard that tears had filled her eyes, and she fought with herself to stand up and help her friend. The two brushed themselves off, before apologizing to the man in the chair, and moved on to their seats.

"Where is everyone?" Naia asked.

"Over at the bar would be my best guess," Elena answered. "Tseng's ordering, so I really hope you don't mind beer."

The women went quiet for a few moments, simply watching the crowd. A fight had broken out near the bar, and Naia noticed a familiar face escorting the one who started it, out the door by the collar of his shirt.

"Isn't that Rude?" She pointed Elena in his direction.

"Yep," Elena answered with a smile.

Naia sat back in her chair for a moment, thinking so hard she didn't notice the bottle of beer as it was being offered to her. All she could think was that if Rude were here, it wouldn't be long before she saw someone else.

"I could always keep it," a voice called, pulling her back to the scene. Lo and behold, there was Reno, a dry expression on his face, waving the bottle in front of her. She took it, and smiled as kindly as she could manage. Reno seated himself in the chair across from her, keeping as much of a distance from her as he could, and leaving Rude in between them. "Didn't expect to see you here."

"I invited her," Elena said proudly.

"Well," Reno said with a smirk that betrayed his tone. "Thanks for that."

"How are you settling in, Naia?" Tseng asked, doing his best to change the subject.

"Well enough," she answered. "It's nice to finally open a window and breathe clean air."

"The living arrangements at Headquarters aren't much," he said. "But I hope it serves you well enough for now."

"It does," Naia replied. "Thank you."

Reno was listening quietly, keeping his mouth busy on a glass of whiskey. But when Tseng mentioned Headquarters, he nearly choked on his booze. Elena saw his reaction, and took Naia by the arm.

"Let's dance," she said, grinning from ear to ear. Naia started to shake her head, but Elena gave her such a pleading look that she finally agreed. Reno turned and watched them disappear into the crowd, before turning his attention to Tseng, who already knew what was coming.

"Tseng."

"Reno," Tseng said, putting his drink down. "I know what you're going to say, so let me fill you in before you get started." He looked back to make sure the girls were still out of sight, and when he was able to confirm they weren't within earshot, he sat forward and continued. "Yes, she's living in a Shinra unit. It was Rufus' idea, not hers. In fact, Elena told me that she didn't want to move in. Secondly, she's one of us, and she deserves more respect than you're giving her."

"One of us?" Reno shot Tseng a sour look. "Since when?"

"Since this afternoon," Rude said. When he received the same look, he focused on his drink again.

"Why am I just finding out?" Reno asked. Tseng could see in his eyes that he was getting angry.

"Rufus figured you didn't need to know," Tseng replied. He sat back in his chair, half expecting some kind of violent outburst from a drunken Reno, but to his amazement, the fiery redhead remained calm. Tseng simply assumed it was the alcohol.

Reno finally shot back the last of his whiskey, and slammed the glass down on the table before he stood. He slipped his black jacket from the back of his chair, and adjusted it on himself before gesturing a mock salute at Tseng and Rude.

"You're leaving already?" Elena asked from behind.

"The drinks are free at home," he said with a grin, before looking at Naia. "Fewer miscreants too."

With that, he pushed past the two women, and vanished into the mob of people before them. Naia looked at Elena who could see the wheels in her head turning.

"Let him go," Elena pleaded.

Naia shook her head and charged through the crowd after him.


	4. Failed Apology

When she finally made it past the crowd and outside, she had to let her eyes adjust to the light. When she was able to make everything out, she began to scan the street and spotted Reno walking down the road toward Sector 6. She took off in a sprint and continued until she was only a few yards away from him.

"Hey!" She yelled. When he stopped, he turned around and watched her jog up to him.

"Why don't you go back inside?" He asked, his tone a hair shy of being threatening.

"I wanna know what the hell your problem is," Naia said, inching closer to him. It amused and bothered her that he kept backing away from her.

"My problem? Sweetheart, I don't have a problem."

"Don't lie to me, Reno."

"Fine," he said. "Fine. You wanna know what my problem is? I worked my ass off to become a Turk, and someone like you -"

"Someone like me?"

"My bad," he mused. "A bitch like you, is that better? That what you wanted to hear? A **bitch** like you fucks up a job and becomes the boss' pet. That's my problem."

"Is that so?"

"Look, you're nothing but a pretty face, getting by on luck and circumstance," he said. "I am honestly surprised you're still alive. You don't belong here, and you don't deserve to be one of us. Let's just pray that Tseng is smart enough to put you behind a desk where you belong."

Naia didn't say anything. Instead she watched as Reno turned around and walked away from her into the darkness.

.

.

"This is bullshit!"

Reno's voice echoed through the hall from behind the closed door of Tseng's office, and Elena stopped dead in her tracks, with Naia nearly running her over.

"After that display last night, you're lucky I don't just send you home," Tseng answered, quiet as usual. "Besides, we need as much information on this man as possible."

"Tseng, come on."

"Enough," Tseng answered. "I want a full report by the time we get back tonight."

Elena and Naia watched as Reno stormed out of the office and down the hall. He was so angry that he didn't even notice they were there. Tseng came out shortly after, and led the two women to the elevator.

"Hang on a second," Naia said quickly, leaving before either could stop her. She walked up to Reno who was seated at a desk in a large computer room just up the hall, and dropped a heavy manila folder in front of him. "Some reading material," she said quietly. "Because you seem to know me so well. And because if you're researching Daemon you're not going to find much."

Reno looked up at her with dark eyes, one eyebrow raised in confusion, and she simply smiled and walked away, rejoining Tseng and Elena in the hall.

.

.

Reno sat in the dark room, cursing under his breath. Naia was right. There was very little information about Daemon, and all he could find was of little importance, though he took note of it to appease Tseng. He folded his hands behind his head, and leaned back in his chair, sighing heavily. He was bored. The manila folder on the desk had caught his attention more than once, but he didn't want to touch it. He didn't want her to prove him wrong. He didn't want to feel like an ass. He took a breath and slammed a hand down on the folder before dragging across the desk and into the light resonating from the monitor.

When he opened the folder, the first thing he saw was a photo pinned to what looked like a profile, a lot like the ones used by Shin-Ra. He read aloud as he skimmed through the page.

"Name: Naia Metsuya, Date of Birth: August 23, 1983 -" He skimmed a little bit further. "Formal martial arts training in Wutai? No shit," he laughed nervously. He shifted his goggles and ran a hand down his face before he continued flipping through pages. He stopped suddenly when a smaller slip of paper caught his interest. It was held by a paperclip to yet another sheet, and he took it out, blinking to make sure he was seeing this correctly. "A death certificate? What the hell... Mathias Jesper Metsuya, Date of Death: May 8, 2003, Place of Death: Corel Village... You've got to be shitting me."

.

.

Tseng stood leaning against the hood of the SUV that he and Elena shared, watching as Elena walked Naia through some basic Turk combat techniques and practiced them with her. Naia was picking them up faster than most recruits, and he wasn't surprised. When he saw the two take some time to breathe and relax in the heat, he started toward them, but stopped when his phone chimed in his jacket pocket. He retreated back to the vehicle and answered quietly.

"This is Tseng," he said.

"_Tseng, it's Reno."_

"I know," Tseng answered. "Caller ID, Reno. What's going on? Find anything interesting?"

"_Yeah I guess you could say that," _Reno replied. He was talking quickly and his voice was hushed, making Tseng a little nervous. _"You remember Corel?"_

"Yes, I remember it," Tseng answered. "What about it?"

"_The reactor, the attack, you remember it?"_

"Yes Reno, I remember it," Tseng said. "I didn't ask you to research-"

"_Naia gave me her file before you guys left," _he interrupted. He could hear Tseng sigh into the phone, and he quickly tried to explain himself. _"Listen. Her dad was one of the people that died when Scarlet attacked Corel."_

"And?"

"_And, I think you should get back here and see what's so pressing about this."_

"Reno," Tseng said, the dry sound of defeat ringing through. "This has nothing to do with what I asked you to do."

"_It has everything to do with it," _Reno argued.

.

.

Tseng sat at his desk looking hard at the paper handed to him by Reno. How a death certificate had anything to do with their investigation, he wasn't sure, but he figured it was best to humor the already lit fuse standing before his desk.

"This is her father?" He said, finally looking up, his eyes following Reno, who paced impatiently across the floor. Reno only nodded. "And what does his death, _eight _years ago, have to do with now?"

"Look at this." Reno placed a sheet of paper on his desk. Tseng looked down at it and was surprised to see an actual printed article about the man they were looking into. He started to read it, but Reno saved him the trouble. "Apparently Daemon was a part of the funding behind the Mako reactor in Corel, though it was never known until the president made it a point of thanking him in his public statement when the reactor was finished."

"Alright," Tseng said. "So all we've got on this guy is that he played philanthropist for a while."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Reno answered, pointing to the photo in the article. "Look at this."

"What about it?" Tseng asked, his expression shifting slightly toward confusion.

"That's Daemon with Mathias Metsuya," Reno answered. "Seeing as there was so little information on Daemon himself, I looked into Daddy Dearest. The two had been long time friends, and were working together, making investments in any and all Shin-Ra based exploits. Shortly after the reactor was built in Corel, they had a falling out."

"And after the explosion..."

"Exactly," Reno said. "As far as anyone knew, it was an accidental death when one of the mines collapsed, when in fact, he was caught in the crossfire during Scarlet's attack."

"That certainly explains how Daemon found Naia so easily," Tseng said thoughtfully. He looked up at Reno who was pacing again, deep in thought.

"Also explains how he's got all this information on her too," he said finally. He stopped in front of Tseng's desk and sat down, rubbing his forehead. "What I don't understand is why he offered her a job, rather than just kill her when he had the chance."

"It never had anything to do with her," Tseng guessed. He sat quiet for a minute, trying to think. By the time he looked up to speak again, the door to his office was closing, and Reno was gone.

.

.

The highest floor of Shin-Ra Headquarters was now not only where Rufus' office was housed, but much of the floor had been rebuilt for employee housing a couple of years ago. There were ten total units, and Reno had no idea which one Naia was living in. Each door had a metal number on it, and so he tried number one first. When there was no answer to his knock, he continued in numerical order until he finally got an answer at the eighth unit. He smiled at the girl as she opened the door, and as soon as she saw who was standing there, she slammed the door in his face, leaving him outside to listen to the click of a deadbolt.

"Naia, come on." He leaned against the frame of the door, waiting for her to answer, but got no response. He paced in front of her door for a few minutes trying to think of a way to get her to at least step out, and his eyes narrowed, matching the curve of his mouth as the gears in his head began to turn. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket, and fumbled around with the keys, calling reception to get the unit's phone number. A quick press of the red button, and another of the green, and he dialed. He could hear the phone ringing inside the small apartment, and waited as patiently as he could for her to answer.

"_Hello?"_

"Open the door?"

_Click. _A failed attempt, and he swore at himself as he walked back to her door.

"Naia, open the door... please?"

"Why Reno?" She called back. "So you can tell me what a fuck up I am again? I think I got the hint last night."

"Calling again," he answered.

"Don't-"

The phone rang, and this time she didn't bother to touch it, thinking he'd leave well enough alone and hang up. Only he didn't hang up, and it continued to ring.

"Reno, hang up the phone!" She yelled.

"Not until you come outside," he said. She couldn't see it, but his grin had turned into a full smile. He was amused.

"I'm not opening this door for you," she argued.

"Then I'm not hanging up."

There was a moment of silence, aside from the still ringing phone inside, before Reno heard the deadbolt click again, this time unlocking. He took the smile off his face, worried she'd see it and slam the door in his face again, and took a more humble stance as the door slowly opened.

"You can hang up now." She said. She held the door ajar, and held a firm foot behind it, ensuring that it wasn't going to open any further. She stood there, tired, awaiting some snide comment, and shifted her weight, unamused by his silence. "What do you want?"

The sight wasn't anything he had expected. She stood there in pink cotton shorts and a black t-shirt, her hair damp, and bags under her eyes. The last time he saw her, there was life in her face, and he felt a bit bad for disturbing her, when it was apparent that a pillow was the only company she wanted.

"I, uh," he said quietly, trying to think of an eloquent way of wording things. "Well, I brought you this."

"My file?" She took it gingerly from his hand and turned around to throw it on a small table inside the door. "You harassed me for this?"

"Well... " Reno started.

"Good night, Reno," she sighed.

He wanted to put his foot in the door. To somehow make her listen to what he had to say, but it was evident that she didn't want to hear it, and he let the door close in his face once again.


	5. Junon

"Where's Reno?" Tseng asked, looking directly at Rude, who shrugged in response. Tseng shook his head, and rubbed his temples. He was certainly not in the mood today. "Alright, we'll proceed without him."

He handed Rude, and Elena each a small folder containing several photos and pages of information. "The men in these photographs are SOLDIER, Shin-Ra's elite. They went missing off the coast of Junon approximately two days ago on a mission to give reinforcement at the Forgotten Capital."

"Who would be stupid enough to go after SOLDIER?" Elena asked as she flipped through the photos.

"I don't know," Tseng answered. "It could be someone from opposing armies, or someone who has a problem with Shin-Ra itself."

"Maybe it was AVALANCHE," Reno chimed from behind. He smiled at Tseng who looked up at him disappointed, and clicked the office door closed. "We've been butting heads with them for years."

"No," Elena replied. "AVALANCHE wouldn't be that bold. Even the fanatic groups wouldn't go after Shin-Ra directly. They're a group of activists, not-"

"They're mostly terrorists," Reno laughed.

"Who did it isn't important at this point," Tseng interrupted. It was important, but he wasn't leaving it up for debate anymore. He knew those two could carry on all day if they wanted to, and they were already beginning to make his head hurt. "Rufus wants us to retrace their steps, and see if we can find them. If we happen to find any leads regarding who was responsible, then we'll go from there."

"Yes sir," the three said at once.

"Reno, ready the chopper. We leave in no less than twenty minutes for Junon."

Naia had stood in the corner of the room for the entire meeting and as the others cleared out, she stopped Tseng at the door. "What about me?"

"You're not going," Tseng answered bluntly.

"What! Why not?"

Tseng took a deep breath and sat on the edge of his desk with his hands folded over his lap. "I'm not sure if you're ready for something like this," he told her.

Naia shook her head, and ran a hand through her hair. "With all due respect sir, how will you know I'm ready if you don't give me the chance to prove myself?"

Tseng thought for a moment. While he still wasn't sure, she did make a good point. "Very well," he said watching a smile spread across her lips. "Meet us on the roof in ten minutes. If you're not there, we leave without you."

.

.

She was there with time to spare and was greeted by Elena who was beaming, her teeth shining through a bright smile. Elena led her to the chopper and took her bag, praising her for packing, and telling her about the time they had taken a couple of recruits on a mock infiltration, only to find that one of them had no clean clothes or personal effects with them.

"We were gone for three days," she said. "By the time we got back, poor Reno had to have his chopper cleaned to get rid of the smell."

Naia tied her hair back as she waited for Elena to finish, and saw Reno heading toward the chopper. She knew he spotted her when he turned in Tseng's direction, and she simply shook her head. She watched, as she usually did, seeing Tseng hand Reno a folder similar to what he had handed out in his office earlier. When Tseng pointed Reno in her direction, she cringed. He stalked toward her, tapping the folder against his hand, and raising his eyebrows at her.

"Tseng wants me to go over this with you," he said, holding the folder out to her.

"I already know what we're doing," she answered, snatching the folder away from him.

"Yeah well, this way, your ass is covered if something goes wrong," Reno said. He frowned at her, wanting so bad to just walk away, and bit his lip. "Just... humor me, would you?"

Naia nodded reluctantly in agreement, and Reno escorted her off to the side away from everyone else so he could go over things without having to talk over anyone else. He opened the folder in her hands and began pointing out things she would have to remember.

"Alright," he started. He looked up at her quickly and was surprised to see her already studying the photograph intently. "So... This is a birds-eye view of the main town, which is where we're headed. Down here is the entrance. This is likely where they came in."

"That would be obvious," Naia sighed. "If that's the entrance, where else would they come in?"

"You're a smart ass."

"Nice observation."

Reno shook his head and continued. "Over here to the west is the coast. This is where they were supposed to leave for the Forgotten Capital. It's also where they're assumed to have gone missing from. At the top here, is the only way inside the military base, aside from flight. Which is how else they would get into this area, _if_ they went through the base. According to Rufus, they didn't."

"What about the new city? Are we going to be looking there?" Naia asked sincerely. Reno looked at her, half impressed by her inquiry.

"It shouldn't be necessary, but if it comes to it, we might have to." He flipped through to a well detailed photo of the group. "These are the men we're looking for. Study their faces. Remember them. If we find any of them, we're to bring them back, or call in troops to get them. Got it?"

"Loud and clear."

He nodded and directed her back to the chopper.

.

.

Daemon looked up with a scowl as Mason entered his office. Mason had a smug grin on his own face and approached the heavy oak desk rooted in front of his boss, trying hard not to choke on the thick cloud of cigar smoke as he moved through the room. He dropped a large envelope on the desk and proceeded to sit down as Daemon took his time to look at its contents.

The envelope held a number of black and white photographs, and he inspected each one intently before moving on to the next. He puffed his cigar and took a swig of brandy before looking to Mason for an explanation.

"The troops have been taken care of," Mason said crossing one leg over the other. He slicked back his greasy hair and scratched the side of his nose. "Rufus sent the Turks after them this morning."

"She with them?" Daemon asked, looking back at the photos.

"She is... one of them now, isn't she?" Mason retorted.

Daemon breathed loudly through his bulbous nose and nodded slowly. "Good work," he said. He looked up at Mason, seeing an eager glimmer in his eye. "Get your men together, and bring back our little princess."

.

.

It was late afternoon by the time Reno landed the chopper just south of Junon. Everyone piled out and stretched before grabbing their belongings and heading into the small town. From where they were, Naia could see the lights of the new city. She hadn't been there before, but even seeing it at a distance was enough. Too busy for her tastes.

"So, I have to ask," Naia said to whoever was listening. "Why does the military still come through here, when there's a metropolis just up there?"

"Ease of access for one," Reno answered. "Everything they need, if anything, is pretty much all in one place."

"Well that and they don't use the city for anything more than ceremonies and stuff like that," Elena added. "People in the major city tend to scare when they see the military roll through for anything else. They don't want to deal with SOLDIER unless they're watching them march in a parade."

They made their way to a small inn, near the entrance of the town, and settled in before regrouping in the inn's small restaurant. Naia was a little distant and slow to respond to anything, and Elena sat across the small table from her, giving her a look of concern.

"You alright?"

"Hmm?" Naia responded, snapping out of her daze. "Yeah. Yeah I'm fine. I just can't get over how quiet this place is."

"Junon's always quiet," Tseng said.

"Yeah, no, I know that," Naia said shaking her head. She knew Junon's history. The fishery closing, and people going out of business, left the town what it was now. But something didn't seem right to her. "It just... never mind."

"So Naia," Elena chimed, trying to lighten her mood. "Tell us about yourself."

Naia looked up at the blonde, surprised at her request. "You're serious?" She asked. When Elena nodded, she bit her lip and decided to oblige. "Well, there's not really much to tell. I was born and raised in Icicle Lodge, and I studied business in a community college just north of Nibelheim. My father was a business man, and did a lot of non-profit charity work for small organizations. A few years after he died, my mom got sick, so I've been sending her money to help her out."

"What happened to your father?" Elena asked sadly. She ignored the look on Reno's face, seemingly telling her that he question was a bad idea. "If you don't mind me asking, that is."

"Well, I'm pretty sure you guys know about the explosion in Corel?" She began. She felt a bit nervous when Elena, Rude and Reno leaned in to listen, but she didn't let it show. "Well, he was helping to fund the mining operation out there, and the day of the explosion, he had gone to help inspect one of the mines. The force from the reactor was enough to cause the mine to collapse, and well... he didn't make it out."

Everyone at the table went quiet, and Naia didn't rightly understand why. She politely excused herself, and left the room.

.

.

"I don't believe it," Reno said. He quietly paced across the wooden floor, only stopping when it creaked, as if to tell warn him that he was about to wear right through it. "She really believes that it was an accident."

"Maybe it's better that way," Rude answered. He sat on the edge of his bed watching his partner try to sort things out in his head, and felt sorry for him, though he shouldn't have. He knew Reno had a nasty habit of over thinking things, and looking too far into things. Quite often, it was what got Reno into so much trouble, and Rude always managed to be dragged into it whether he liked it or not.

"Wouldn't you wanna know the truth?" Reno asked. He watched as Rude shook his head.

"The story she believes _is_ the truth... to her at least," Rude answered in debate. He stood and straightened his suit before heading toward the bathroom door. "Tseng's got her on watch right now. If you think she should know, that's up to you. I'm getting some sleep before my shift."

.

.

She was barely recognizable, especially in the dark that had blanketed the town. A single streetlamp lit the area around her, but even still, he could hardly tell it was her. Rather than her Shin-Ra uniform, she was in a tight dark sweater and baggy pants, and her hair was pulled back into a loose bun. She heard his footsteps as he approached her, and moved into the shadows, giving him no choice but to follow her into the darkness. There wasn't much place for her to hide, and she knew this, as she looked around the alley she had taken refuge in, trying to find any place big enough to squeeze herself into. She had nearly reached a dirty backstreet when she found a small nook between the back entrance to a shop and the wall, and she hid herself in there as the footsteps got even closer.

She kept her breathing deep and quiet, though it didn't make her feel as calm as she appeared. Her heart was pounding furiously within her chest, and she could swear that whoever was following could hear it. As her eyes became more and more adjusted to the darkness, she could see a figure move past her hiding place, and she pressed herself even harder against the brick wall behind her. She didn't dare move her feet, for fear of disturbing something on the ground and drawing attention to herself, and was careful as she reached for the cold steel of the pistol tucked away in the back of her pants.

She crept out of her hiding place, heading in the same direction as her pursuer. She stopped where the alley met the backstreet, confused as she looked up and down the pavement in search of the figure from the alley. There was no one there, and she cursed under her breath before putting her gun away and turning back only to slam hard into a solid mass of dark.

The collision knocked him back a few steps, and he took a moment to regain his balance. He stepped forward again trying to put his hands on her arms and let her know it was him, but the connection of her fist with his jaw sent him back again, and he held a hand to his face as he stumbled. In the dim light, he could see her readying to charge toward him, her hands both balled up in fists, and ready to swing if he came too close. The only sound from him was a grunt, and it didn't help her in identifying him at all. It only sparked her fire more, and she ran at him as fast as she could, her feet pounding hard on the ground beneath her. He could see and hear her coming, and glanced up to find an emergency ladder hanging several feet above his head. He jumped, his feet just missing the top of her head where she would have collided with him again, and when she came to a stop, he dropped down, dropping a metal rod from his sleeve, and catching her attention as each section locked into place at his side.

She turned around to the sound of the metal sliding against itself, and stood firm in her place as he approached her. His pace was slow, his steps timed almost to the beating of her heart, and the rod in his hand flickered with blue sparks of electricity. She pulled out her gun, and aimed it at him, but he didn't stop.

"You pack a mean punch," he said finally, pointing the metal rod in her direction. The flashes of blue light made it easier to see, and he sighed a breath of relief as she lowered her gun away from him.

"Reno!" She shouted. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"At the moment, I'm trying not to get dead," he answered. "You know, I almost had to use this thing. You can get pretty violent."

"You have no idea," she panted. She looked down at the rod still sparking in his hand, and back at him, her brow in a deep furrow. "Why are you even out here? Tseng put _me_ on watch. I figured he trusted me enough to let me do this on my own."

"He probably does," Reno said. "I just came out to see how you were doing."

"You're a terrible liar," she laughed, shaking her head. "Seriously, what do you want?"

He went dead silent for a minute, making her wonder what he was thinking, and she could tell he was nervous. He shifted his goggles and chewed his lip, his head down, and his eyes looking up at her with sincerity as he smiled sheepishly.

"I... I wanted to apologize," he said finally, scratching his head. "For the other night. I was drunk-"

"A totally valid excuse," she remarked. He winced at the amount of sarcasm that came from her, and took a brave step in her direction.

"Look," he said. "I shouldn't have said what I did. I was out of line."

"You think?" She started to walk away from him, back toward the inn, but he took her by the arm, and she swung around to look at him, with a fury in her eyes that he only thought he was capable of. "Listen, the only reason you're saying sorry, is because you looked at my file and felt like an ass. I really don't want to hear what you have to say, because you're just trying to make yourself look better."

He grabbed her again as she turned around, and pulled her back to him, closer than he had intended. She tried to pull away from him, but the more she fought, the tighter his grip on her became. "You really are stubborn, aren't you?" He asked, his patience wearing thin. "Yeah, I read your file, and yeah, I feel like an ass. I was wrong. What else do you want from me?"

She backed down, taking a deep breath as she looked up into his eyes. "A chance," she said. "All I want is a chance. Yes, I screwed up, but there was nothing I could do about it but suck it up and move on. I practically had to beg Tseng to let me come here so I could prove to him that Rufus didn't make a mistake in taking me on. And now I have to prove to you that I even belong here."

"You don't have a thing to prove to anybody," Reno said, finally letting go of her. "If Rufus figured you were good enough to be one of us, then that's good enough for me."

It was the first time since their paths crossed that Naia saw any honesty in his eyes, and rather than try to argue the point with him, she allowed herself to trust him. He smiled warmly at her, and offered his hand in a truce. She accepted and shook his hand firmly before finally turning to leave the alley.

The street seemed to be farther away, the darkness of the small space almost unending. No light came from beyond the walls of the buildings on either side of her, and it wasn't until she felt the cool coastal breeze that she knew she had made it out. She turned to look back at Reno who had been following fairly close behind her, when she felt a strong hand clamp down over her mouth, and cold steel against her temple. She shrieked in fear as the man holding her pulled her back, away from the alley, leaving Reno on his own to face what came next.


	6. Unwanted Truths

She watched from a distance as he stepped out into the open and both were blinded as bright beams of light came in their direction. The engine of a car roared as it started, and the headlights lent them no mercy as they shone brightly in their eyes.

As Naia's eyes began to adjust, she made out three suited figures moving in Reno's direction from behind, and another exited the vehicle before them. He walked with a heavy strut, and ran a hand over his hair, giving away his identity to her. She struggled against the man behind her, her cries to save Reno muffled behind a strong hand that she fought hard to pull away. She reached behind her head at the one holding her, looking for anything to grab onto, and when her fingers reached his neck, she pressed her nails into his skin with enough force to draw blood. The man swore, letting go of her to put his hand over the wound, and she swung an elbow into his gut before she ran.

The sound of her feet hitting the ground was enough to distract the men surrounding Reno, and it gave him just enough time to realize what was going on and react. His EMR in hand, Reno waited for one of the men to come after him. As one tried to restrain him from behind, he gave him a quick jab to the side sending a massive shock through his body, and watched as his assailant fell to the ground, his body limp and motionless.

Naia came to a halt in front of one of the men circling Reno, and spread her arms out, taunting him. He moved toward her slowly and laughed menacingly as he watched her open hands become fists, held loosely in front of her. One foot in front of the other, she waited until he was just within her reach. Before he could even react, her foot slammed hard into the side of his head, knocking him to the ground, and she laughed back at him as she landed. He stood again, shaking off the pain in his head, and ran after her, pulling a butterfly knife from his jacket, and flipping it open as he ran. She wasn't prepared for the first swing, and unable to block him, felt the blade snag the material of her shirt, cutting a large hole across the midsection, and leaving her thankful that he hadn't tried harder.

When he swung again, she was expecting it, and threw her arm out blocking his own as the two made contact. She swung at his face, and he grabbed her with a free hand, spinning her around until her back was against his chest. _Where have I seen this before?_ She thought, laughing inside. He brought the knife to her throat, and she retaliated, thrusting her elbow into his stomach, and kicking back, her foot connecting with his knee, sending him stumbling back as he howled in pain. She brushed herself off, keeping a watchful eye on him as she inspected the hole in her shirt and swore fiercely.

The man regained himself, and having had enough of her fight, threw the knife down before charging at her with full force. The collision sent her flying, and she landed on her back, wheezing and gasping for air.

Reno had seen her get taken down, but he had his own problem to deal with. The man he fought was slender and nimble, much like Reno himself, and he proved to be a worthy match. He wielded a pair of short swords, swinging them around as if to show off, before finally using them against the Turk. Reno was able to block most of the swings, sending a loud clang through the air as the blades connected with his EMR. The man's swings became increasingly fast however, and Reno hissed as the sting of a cut ran across his chest. He glanced down to see a patch of blood spread through the thin material of his white dress shirt, and frowned. He breathed hard through his nose, his lips pursed together as the two stood in a face-off, neither moving, and neither making any attempt to call the other on. When the thin man before him began snickering, Reno raised the rod to strike, only to feel himself be lifted off his feet and thrown to the ground. The ride was rough, though he had endured worse, and as he came to a stop, he looked beside him to see Naia still struggling for air.

He forced himself to his feet, watching the two men who now stood awaiting command, and helped Naia to her feet, allowing her to use his body for support as she caught her breath. The two watched intently as the single suited man near the car made his approach, his amusement evident in the low laugh that came from him.

"Naia," he crooned as he stopped only inches away from her. She looked up at him, her eyes burning with anger, and her chest aching as she breathed. "Where are the rest of your friends?"

"Mason, you... son of a..."

"Don't exert yourself, princess," Mason said, feigning concern for her condition. He looked at Reno and back at Naia who was reaching behind her back. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

She followed Mason's gaze to see his men had regrouped, each holding a gun in their direction. "I should have killed you a long time ago," she growled, wincing through the pain of her breathing, and the sting of Mason's hand connecting with her face.

Mason took a long look at Reno who was still supporting Naia, and laughed. "I know you," he said. "You're one of Shinra's little pets, aren't you? Tell me, where's the rest of the litter?"

Reno refused to answer, and simply glared at the man before him. As Mason turned to walk away, Naia lunged forward, trying to go after him, but Reno wrapped an arm around her waist and held her back despite her struggle.

"Load them up," Mason called back. "Watch the bitch though, she likes to fight."

"Please tell me you have a plan," Naia groaned, looking up at Reno. The armed men were closing in on them, and their time was running out. She didn't expect Reno to think of anything, but she figured it was fine to hope, and that's what she did.

"Shoot them?"

"They'd have me dead before I got a shot off," she whispered harshly. She felt her arm jerk to the side, and felt Reno's hold loosen as she was pulled away from him. She looked up at him with panic in her eyes, waiting for him to pull her back or do something to defend her, but it was all happening too fast, and he didn't have the chance to help her. "Reno?"

He heard her voice and reached for her. Too late. She was too far away from him, being dragged off toward a black car near the street, kicking and doing anything in her power to stall the men with their hands on her.

In her struggle to free herself, the bun in her hair collapsed, and her hair fell into her face leaving her to look through a web of dark strands as she watched Reno run after her. He was stopped by two large men, each taking a hold of an arm as another man limped toward him, with the EMR in hand. It sparked wildly in his hand, and Reno collapsed as it connected violently with his abdomen.

.

.

Mason escorted Naia into a dark room lit by a single hanging bulb in the center. Under the light were two steel chairs, and Naia's heart sank when she saw that one was occupied by a lifeless body. She shook herself free from Mason's hold and ran to the unconscious redhead, crouching in front of him and lifting his head. His hands were tied behind him, and the cord around his wrists was the only thing keeping him from falling to the floor. She struggled to straighten him out, and when that failed, she braced him against her as she leaned over his shoulder trying to untie him. She kicked the chair next to her in frustration and looked up at Mason with hair in her face and tears in her eyes.

"What did you do to him!" She shouted the question, surprising Mason that she would speak to him in that tone. Rather than attack her for it, he chuckled and a sinister grin formed on his face.

"Just a little bit of shock therapy," he answered, directing her attention to another man in the room who was holding a familiar steel rod in his hand. The rod sparked, and she backed away as the man stalked toward her. She jumped when she backed right into Reno and stumbled, struggling to keep her balance as Mason's comrade moved in for the strike.

.

.

The shock of cold water hitting her face brought her back to the conscious hell she'd been thrown into. Her side burned more than her anger ever could and she looked down to see a singed hole in the side of her shirt, adding to the damage already done that night. She moved to lift her shirt and assess the damage done to her side, but found herself in the same position as her fellow Turk. The cord seemed tighter around her wrists, and as she wriggled her hands, the pressure threatened to break through her skin.

"Awake at last." The familiar voice echoed through the room, and Naia strained to turn around and face Daemon. "You gave Mason's men quite the workout, I hear."

"Go to hell," she rasped.

"Now, now," Daemon replied, shaking his head. He walked around her and stopped when he stood directly in front of her, blowing smoke in her face. "There's no need for this, Naia."

She turned her head away from him, focusing on the dirty floor and avoiding his gaze entirely. It was all she could do not to choke on the smokey fog that engulfed her, and mixed with the smell of burnt skin and clothing, and the raunchy odor of Daemon himself, her gag reflex threatened to unleash the contents of her stomach. A groan to her right demanded her immediate attention, and she swung her head around to see Reno coming to. He winced in pain, his eyebrows folding into a deep frown, his bottom lip between his teeth as he tried to will himself through it.

"Let me help him." She looked up at Daemon, her eyes pleading with him. Daemon didn't move from where he stood and she burned with rage. "Gaia's sake, Daemon, he's got nothing to do with this! Let me help him!"

Daemon stared at her long and hard before finally signaling to one of his men to cut her loose. When she felt the ties fall away, she slid off her chair as quickly as she could and knelt in front of the man sitting half dead and near motionless.

"Reno..." Her voice was almost inaudible and heavily cracked, but he responded, groaning as he lifted his head to see her. She smiled weakly when his eyes finally met hers, and touched a gentle hand to his face. "It's okay. I'm... I'm gonna help. You're gonna be fine."

She looked around the room until she found a small bucket of water on the floor, likely the same water that was used to wake her up, and she scrambled to grab it, spilling most of the liquid inside as she brought it back. Not having a cloth available, she took the next best thing and tore the cut piece of material from her shirt, soaking it in the cold water, before wringing it out and dabbing his forehead with it. He hissed at the sudden chill against his skin, looking at her in disapproval, but she ignored it. When he seemed a little more alert, Naia turned her attention back to Daemon who stood watching the spectacle.

"Untie him," she demanded. Again, Daemon gave her no answer, and she raised her voice, the force of her yelling making her chest ache. "Let him go! You have me! He doesn't need to be here!"

"Have you forgotten how things work here already?" Daemon asked, half ashamed as he shook his head. "Pretty boy isn't going anywhere."

"What do you mean?" She rose to her feet meeting Daemon's unforgiving glare, and shook her head in disbelief. "You can't be serious."

"I couldn't be more serious," he answered. He turned away from her and paced the room for a moment before turning his attention to the mess of a man next to her. "Why you'd defend a killer like him is beyond me."

"You're no better than he is," Naia argued. Her voice shook violently and her heart began to pound erratically.

"Really? So I guess he never told you then." His voice trailed off as he spoke, and Naia was straining to hear the rest.

"Never told me what?" She asked looking at Reno and back at Daemon.

"My poor girl," Daemon crooned, moving toward her. He placed a gentle hand on her arm as he puffed on his cigar, and turned her around to face Reno. "Shin-Ra and the Turks were responsible for your father's death."

Reno looked up at Naia and shook his head through the pain that surged through his body. He watched the tears form in her eyes, the quiver in her bottom lip, and the disbelief all over her face.

"No," she breathed. "It was an accident. The mine... the explosion..."

"Don't you see?" Daemon declared. "Shin-Ra covered it up. Just like everything else, they've kept the truth hidden from the public... from you."

Naia looked back to Reno whose eyes were still trained on her, and tears rolled down her cheeks as she listened to what Daemon was telling her. Daemon took her hand and wrapped her fingers around something cold. She looked down to see her gun, and looked at him like he was crazy.

"Do the right thing," he said with a nod.

"Reno," she said quietly, choking back her tears. The gun shook in her hand as she held it at her side waiting for him to answer her. Instead, he just stared at her, his eyes losing their spark, going dull as if the light inside of him was starting to fade out. "Reno!"

He blinked, slowly bringing himself back, and lifting his eyes to meet hers once more. "Just shoot me," he told her. His voice was slurred, and he was finding it harder to see straight.

Naia shook her head, the tears flowing freely from her eyes, streaking her flushed face. "No," she whimpered. "No, you answer me."

"Why don't you..."

"Why don't I what?" She looked at him with desperation, and when he didn't speak, she lifted his head with enough force to jar him awake again. "Why don't I what?"

"Ask him..." He forced himself to look at her and breathed as deeply as he could. "Business... partners. The money..."

"He's lying, Naia," Daemon interrupted.

"No," Reno argued. He struggled to concentrate, his dizziness and delirium become more intense as each moment passed. He swallowed hard and pushed himself to continue. "Your father and Daemon... worked together."

"What!"

"They funded production on the Mako reactor... in Corel," he continued. He swallowed again, his throat dry, and his voice threatening to give out on him. "Your... dad was a wealthy man. Daemon here couldn't handle it and after the explosion... he sent your father into the middle of an attack on the town."

"Don't listen to him," Daemon urged her. "He's delusional."

"Naia," Reno said. "How do you think he had all that information on you? Your dad's death certificate. Shit, piece it together."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Daemon had begun to argue, but she was thinking too hard to hear what he was saying to her. His voice droned on for as long as she tried to fit the pieces together, and she rubbed the gun against her temple. She looked at the man sitting before her. The man who had risked his life to keep her alive. As wild as it was, she actually believed what he was telling her, and she turned to Daemon who was still trying to argue his point.

"Look at him, Naia," Daemon said. "Why would he tell you the truth? Huh? He's only saying any of this to save his own ass. Who was there for you when you needed a job, and a roof over your head? Who was there when your poor mother fell ill? I took you in. I've taken care of you!"

"Shut up!" She pointed the gun at Daemon, then Reno, and back at Daemon again, her finger slowly pressing down on the trigger.

The last thing Reno heard was the sound of her voice ringing through the room, and a gunshot before he felt himself be pulled into an empty darkness.


End file.
